Excavating-machine.



' P. A. CHRISTENSEN. I

EXCAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25,1915.

' Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WifnEssEs: Inventor: wwqm P. A. CHRISTENSEN.

EXCAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION mm FEB. 25. 1915. 7

1,171,771. v Patented Feb.15,1916.

2 sums-sum 2.

Witnesses: Inventor:

'rI-IB COLUMBIA- PLANOGRAPH CC... WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT curios. PETER Aueusa: CHRISTENSEN, or cHn-IsTIANI ivonwnv, AssIGNon To AunonA a r HANNEBORG, or HAUGBIM, NORWAY.

'EXCAVATING-MAOI-IINE.

vented new and useful Improvements in and,

Relating to Excavating-Machines, of which the following is a specifiction. x

The present invention relates to the type of excavating machines for producing ditches in which the carrying frame of a rotating excavating screw may be adjusted vertically on a second frame, which in turn has a controlled pivotal connection with'a third frame traveling on wheels upon the ground. .The pivotal movement'takes place about a horizontal axis parallel to the excavating direction in such a manner that the screw or its carrying frame retains as much as possible its vertical position, even if the machine during its forward travel upon the ground passes uneven or sloping places, where'the said frame must of necessity take up an inclined position relatively to the vertical direction. In order to be able toretain this said vertical position the previous machines of the kind referred to have been provided between the second and third frame with a mechanical gear device, which is op erated by the machine itself during its formechanism above referred to acts too slowly and consequently in many cases such action has an opposite efiect to the desirable one, because the moving-back of the screw carrying frame to a verticalposition could obviously tak place only when the machine had traveled some distance'forward, whereby it had often arrived at places where such moving-back was unnecessary or even undesirable. Especially this took place, when one side of the machine passed for instance Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 25, 1915. 7 Serial No. 10,470.

ground.

Patented F b. 15,1916.

a little hillock on the ground. The consequence of this slow moving back wasthat the excavating screw and several other es,-

jsentlal parts ofthe machine were subjected to J incessant breaking strains, which often 7 resulted in ruptures or in any case they caused increased expenditure of power toa useless extent. These drawbacks are obviated in a simple-manner according to the present, inventlon by the arrangement of such a clutch or coupling device inthe and third frame, that when the said device isin a locked position the pivotal movement can'take place only by hand .or by mechanical power transmission whereas, after the clutch hasbeen released the two frames can pivot freely in'relation toeach other.

My invention is illustrated by way of example in the which: ..Figure' 1 illustrates the machine partly diagrammatically, working on a'horizontal ground. F igs; 2 and 3 illustrate on a larger scale, details of the coupling device and the pivotal connection. Fig. 4 illustrates the machine during its work upon a sloping vThe sl 1aft 5- ofthe, encavating screw 4. is 3ournaled in the frame 1, which, by suitable mechanism (forming no part of thepresent invention) canbe adjusted ver- 7 8O tically within a second frame 2, which in. turn is turnable in relation to a third frame 3 traveling on wheels 6 upon the ground. The turning or pivotal movement takes'place about two pins 7..lo-

cated at a small distance above the ground. The frame 2 has guiding rollers 8. traveling on curved rails 9-, the center accompanying drawing, in-

-pivotal conne'ctionbetween the said second of which is located in the axis of the pins 7 According to the present invention the frame 2 is provided at its upper part with a curved rack 21, intermeshing with a pinion 1O, keyed to a shaft -1l-. The latter is rotatably journaled in a bearing 22 (Fig. 2) attached to the frame 3 and carries idly a worm wheel 12-, the hub 20 of which may be pressed by means of a hand wheel 13 against a friction cone -14- on the shaft 1l-, the hand wheel -13 acting as a nut on the outer threaded end portion -16 of the screw as shown in Fig. 2 The worm 17, which rests infiXed bearings 1- on the frame ,3, meshes with the said worm wheel l2. The shaft 19 of the worm carries at its end a hand-wheel 23 (Fig. 1).

Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of one of the two pins 7' which connect together the lower parts of the frames -2 and by power transmission to the shaft 19.-

the-frames -1 and 2 can be adjusted to be vertical even if the outer frame 3 is inclined. Then the screw 4 is lowered into the said hole and the machine is started. After. having moved forward a short distance, for instance 10 centimeters,

the screw has obtained a safe side-support in the earth. Now the hand wheel l3 is released so that the friction-connection between the worm wheell2'- and the shaft 11 is interrupted. The two inner frames 1 and 2. therefore now can turn freely about the pins 7 in relation to the outerframe 3-. The latter .consequently now can yield to all :unevennesses 0f the ground and may adjust itself freely (see Fig, 4), whereas the inner frames 1 and:2 will retain their given vertical position supported by the screw t projecting down into the ground. Breaking influences on the screw, as a cause of ,unevennesses on the ground surface, are therefore obviated. Moreover, in case the screw during its excavation should meet larger or smaller stones in the earth, it may turn to the side and thereby pass by such stones without breakings which would be unavoidable if the frames -1, 2-- could not swing freely in relation to the frame 3. Then the work is completed, the hand-wheel 13 is again screwed tight, before the frame 1 is raised for raising the screw -f up from the produced ditch.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The hand wheel l3- is screwed.

being caused 1. In an excavating machine, the combi-a nation of a vertical excavating screw, means for rotating the same, a carrying frame for the screw, a second frame, means for adjusting said first frame vertically onthe second frame, a third frame traveling on wheels, longitudinal pins forming a rocking con nection between the second.

movement of the second frame upon; the.

third frame may be effected only by l1and or by mechanical power transmlssion, whereas, after the coupling. has beenreleased, the two frames may turn freely inrelation to each other.

2. In an excavating machine, the combination of a vertical excavating screw, meansfor rotating the same, a carrying frame for the screw, a second frame, means for ad- 7 and third frames, a self-locking operating mechanism for rocking the second frame uponthe third frame, and a releasable coupling inserted in the said mechanism, so that the pivotal justing said first frame vertically on; the

second frame, .a third lframe traveling :on wheels, longitudinal pins forming a rock ing-connection between the second and third frame, a curved rack and intermeshing gear wheel, one of which is carried by the second 1 frame and the other carried by the third' frame, the rack being concentric with the axis of the said pins, a self-locking operate mg mechanism for ad ustmg the said gear wheel, and a releasable coupling insertedw in the said mechanism, so that the pivotal movement of the-second frame upon the third frame may be effected only by hand or by mechanical power transmission, whereas, after the coupling has been released, the;

two frames may turn freelyin .relationto each other.

3. In an excavating machine, the combination of a vertical excavating screw, means for rotating the same, a carrying frame for the screw, a second frame, means for adjusting said first frame vertically onv the second frame, a'third frametraveling, on wheels, longitudinal pins forming a rocking connection between. thesecond and third;

frame, a curved rack and. intermeshing gear XVlIGQl 0111": Of lllCh IS carried bV the SQCOIlCl 7 v frame and the otheracarried by the third frame, the rack being concentric with :the

axis of the said pins, a self-locking operat T mechanism for adjusting the saidqgear wheel, and a releasable coupling inserted the said mechanism, the coupling comprising a driving wheel arranged idly upon its 1 shaft, a conically bored hub in-frictional 00- 5 hand wheel with a nut-like hub arranged of the Shall in order to becapable of -being pressed forcibly against the cone by was tion of the hand-Wheel, so that the pivotal In testimony yvhereof, I have signed my movement of the second frame upon the name to this specification in the presence of third frame may be effected only by hand two subscribing witnesses.

or by mechanical power transmission, Where- 7 PETER AUGUST CHRISTENSEN." v as, after the coupling has been released, the Witnesses: two frames may turn freely in relation to AXEL ZAHN; 7

each other. Moonns BUGGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each; by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. (2. 

